The present invention relates to a syringe tray, for depositing and transporting medical syringes having a hollow or hypodermic needle and a cap therefor, and including a tray base.
DE-GM 88 15 519 discloses a device for facilitating the preparation of medical injections and is in the form of a tray, the tray surface of which has formed therein receiving sections for syringes, ampoules, hypodermic needles, ampoule saws, etc. A container for used hypodermic needles can be exchangeably connected to this container. DE-GM 88 01 602 discloses a tray for medical inserts with a possibly subdivided base and longitudinal and transverse edge members, with the tray forming a generally rectangular enclosure that extends all the way around. The tray surface is subdivided by partitions that are in the form of raised portions and in which are provided recessed portions for the deposition of syringes.
Such trays, as well as the subject matter of the present invention, serve for the transport of medical accessories as well as injection and blood-removal syringes. For an injection or to take blood, the cap that is held on the hypodermic needle is removed, thereby releasing the needle for puncture. After an injection has been given or blood has been taken, the exposed hypodermic needle, which is contaminated after puncture, represents a risk of infection for the doctor, especially with regard to hepatitis or AIDS infection if the introduction of the hypodermic needle into the cap is effected in such a way that the syringe is guided with one hand while the cap is held with the other hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,562 discloses a hand tool that is supposed to reduce this risk and that is provided with holes having different diameters into which the hypodermic needle caps can be inserted. In this connection, during introduction of the hypodermic needle into the cap, the tool must be held with one hand while the syringe is held with the other hand and the hypodermic needle thereof is introduced into the cap. The advantage over tightly holding the hypodermic needle cap is that the tool is held at a distance from the hypodermic needle by one hand; nonetheless, this holding hand of the user is still in the vicinity of the hypodermic needle. Aside from this, both hands of the doctor are always needed to introduce the hypodermic needle into the cap provided therefor. Holes are provided in this tool in such a way that the hypodermic needle caps are tightly held in the tool, so that to release the cap, which is placed on the hypodermic needle, it is necessary to press the cap out of the hole by stressing the base of the hypodermic needle. EP-OS 0 192 453 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,918 show a similar tool. Here the hypodermic needle cap is held in a wedged manner by a hole or a sleeve-like portion of the cup or funnel tool, whereby the side flanges of the tool are intended to protect the thumbs and index finger of the holding hand of the user. If the tool, along with the introduced cap, is placed upon a support surface, for example a table top, the cap must be held tightly in the tool, which is effected by the wedging in the hole or in the sleeve-like portion of the tool, in order to enable an introduction of the used needle into the cap.
The thing to watch with these last-mentioned tools is the basic concept of wedging the hypodermic needle cap in the tool. In so doing, care must be taken that upon release of the cap from the hand tool, the connection between the head of the hypodermic needle and the corresponding end of the cap, which are held tightly together, is not loosened, since otherwise the objective of the cap as a protection against the needle is lost. Therefore, with the described known tools, the cap must be pressed out.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a syringe tray where all contact and hence injury of the user from contaminated hypodermic needles is precluded, where insertion of the hypodermic needle into the cap can be effected without having to use a second hand, and where furthermore the removal of the hypodermic needle cap from the tray does not require a grasping or other action upon the base of the hypodermic needle cap. This means that the tray can be left on its support surface for providing a wedging connection between the hypodermic needle cap and the needle. This should be possible with a straightforward configuration of the tray.